We Have Forgotten

We are forgetful creatures.

We have forgotten our traditions. We have forgotten our potential in complexity. We have forgotten the truth found in nuance. We have forgotten the wonder of our imagination. We have forgotten the depth of our humanity. And somehow, simultaneously we have forgotten we are simple creatures, still subject to our environment.

We have forgotten we are creatures of the Earth and bound by her rhythms. Neglecting our interdependence with the Earth has not made us independent, but helplessly dependent. Technology’s “progressive” march has lulled us to sleep believing we have subdued her - we would not, could not, will not be overthrown. The spiritual traditions have always known we are not masters here. Even science is now begging us to again discover reverence for the Earth before she has no other choice but to be rid of us.

We have forgotten the rhythms of the Earth are not only around us, but also within us. Fetishizing quick-fixes, immediate pleasure, short-term gains, maintaining power, has seduced us away from our capacity for vision and foresight. We neither calculate nor contemplate the future as though it is ours or belongs to those we love. We are not only bad at math, but also lacking wisdom. While we play the short game, the Earth knows only the long game. She will outlast us. She’s been at it for billions of years and even these numbers mean nothing to us. Our under-funded comprehension skills fail us at scale. We have cold-shouldered objectivity so it might not startle or awaken us. 

We have forgotten even plagues follow the rhythms of the Earth. There is no total immunity. We are not being punished, nor is anyone else. We have grown dumb in the face of scientific data and juvenile in the presence of spiritual wisdom. We are wandering the desert because we have forgotten the sensations of listening, and hearing, and receiving are not the luxuries of choice. The potential scope of our situation is lost on us because we have forgotten the song of the canary and caw of the crow.

We have forgotten we are naturally symbolic creatures and cannot survive on superficiality. We have forgotten the rituals and ceremonies devised specifically for turning our forgetfulness into remembrance. The spring celebrations of Passover and Holy Week are sacred seasons built to remember we have not been and are not alone, and we have forgotten even this. In Judaism, Passover is rich in symbol and ritual, and centered around the simplicity of telling children the story of their ancestors, so they do not forget from where they’ve come. The celebration of Holy Week tells the story of one who loved so recklessly in order that others might live less afraid of death. 

We have forgotten the anatomy of growth includes suffering - specifically the suffering of rememberance. We have forgotten the resources of resilience include grief and mourning. We have forgotten resilience can provide us a future even when the security of prevention was not offered. Resilience is not outdone by fear, but transforms fear’s promises of hatred and paralysis, into compassion and perseverance.

We have forgotten much that could be useful in this season of pandemic, remembrance and new life. How will we re-member now when we have dismissed even the gods of our own making? Where will we turn when we have dismissed the rhythms of the Earth and the Universe, or if you like, the love of God? How costly will our forgetfulness prove to be when we were in need of reverence and humility? 

We have not forgotten how we dislike the pain and discomfort required to remember. There is no amount of force that gets us through. We are at its mercy now. We are in need of mercy now.

We are forgetful creatures. We are always in need of mercy.